


we are falling (but we are not alone)

by tousled



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad moon rising, F/M, Insecurity, Race To The Edge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 19:08:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16435148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tousled/pseuds/tousled
Summary: Snotlout hasn’t stopped giving Astrid looks since she said Tuff wasn’t hideous.





	we are falling (but we are not alone)

**Author's Note:**

> My entry for the HTTYD Rare Pair Week 2018 Day 1: 27th Oct: Non-human characters // “Can’t you listen to me?”
> 
> Shout out to the tuffstrid on the RTTE team who gives us gems like Astrid making sure absolutely EVERYONE knows that she DEFINITELY doesn't think Tuff's hideous AT ALL. This one is for you.

“Is this really necessary?” Hiccup asks, hand on a hip as Ruff finishes tying the last knot of the ropes keeping Tuff lashed to a chair. She doesn’t look up, but everyone else does, Fishlegs stilted in his guilt. 

“Yes.” Ruff says, checking her work. She tilts her head towards Astrid, so Astrid complies, checking the strength of the knots. Really, it’s a bit too tight but Astrid’s about eighty per cent certain Tuff will get tired of this whole thing before anyone has to worry about blood circulation being cut off. 

 

“When I change into a Lycanwing you’ll be asking why you all didn't do more!” Tuff announces, gearing up into another Lycanwing rant. Hiccup looks about ready to gag Tuff too. 

“You’re not turning into a Lycanwing Tuff,” Hiccup tries, not for the first time in the last two days since Tuff was bitten by something, "aren't you listening to me?" 

“But in case he does,” Ruff shrugs, “he’s safe here. Fishlegs has got first watch.” 

 

“What!” Fishlegs squeaks. 

 

Astrid takes the moment to step forward and take Hiccup by the arm, dragging him out of the dining hall. Snotlout follows, equally escaping from watch duty and to listen in to the conversation. She flicks a glance at Snotlout before dropping Hiccup’s arm. 

 

“Let it play out,” Astrid advises. She’d helped corner Tuff to bring him back, throwing him over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes, because sometimes with the twins, you just have to let it play out. 

“It’s ridiculous, we shouldn’t encourage this.” Hiccup starts, crossing his arms. 

“It’s not harming anything and you were happy to let the Thorstonton ordeal play out even when that could have been  _ disastrous. _ ” Astrid replies. “It’ll resolve itself.” 

 

“Yeah,” Snotlout chimes in, voice thick with innuendo, “once Tuff gets a look in a mirror and sees he’s  _ not hideous  _ he’ll realise he wasn't bitten by a Lycanwing at all.” 

“Lycanwings aren’t real and that’s the point we _should_ be making.” Hiccup replies, but Astrid’s too caught up in the _look_ Snotlout’s shooting her to really pay attention. 

 

Snotlout hasn’t stopped giving Astrid  _ looks _ since she said Tuff wasn’t hideous.

 

Although, she supposes it’s not so much that she said he’s not hideous, it was more the way she said it. She hadn’t known what she was saying, except in that moment it had seemed pertinent to he  _ knew.  _ The dramatics about changing into a hideous beast were likely just dramatics, but living in such close quarters has really shined a light on everyone’s insecurities in ways Astrid had never noticed before. Her brain had rattled  _ “does he know? Does he know?”  _ around until the words had just spilt out without permission. 

 

“He’s not going to listen,” Ruff interrupts, “Astrid’s right, just let it play out.” 

“Alright,” Hiccup concedes, voice tight. “But  _ after,  _ we’re explaining the Lycanwing isn’t real. Snotlout, you take next watch, I’ll go after, Ruff third and Astrid can go last on the roster. Hopefully it’ll be over by then, but we’ll start the roster over again if need be.” 

 

“Someone should probably check on Fishlegs,” Astrid says. No one makes a move back towards the dining hall. 

“There’s no screaming,” Ruff says, “he’s probably fine.” 

  
  


****

  
  


“He’s had something to eat, so don’t worry about that.” Ruff says as she meets Astrid at the change of guard. Astrid’s glad for it, feeding Tuff like he’s a baby wasn’t really on Astrid’s list things to do today, or any day. 

“Thanks for doing that.” 

“Oh no, I made ‘Lout do it.” Ruff grins, sharp, and Astrid laughs. She claps a hand on Ruff’s shoulder and steps into the room, 

  
  


“Come to see if I’ve turned into a hideous beast yet?” Tuff asks, voice thick with tiredness. Astrid steps closer to check on the ropes and is relieved to see someone’s loosened them a little. 

“If I let you out, will you stay here?” Astrid asks instead of replying. He must be tired and sore from sitting in the same position all day. Even with loosened ropes to increase blood flow he’s probably all pins and needles.

“I’m considering gnawing my own leg off to get out.” Tuff shrugs awkwardly, “you know, like a mouse in a trap.  A wild boar in a bear trap, a dragon in a dragon trap.” 

 

“That would be gross,” Astrid says. She drags a chair over to sit backwards on it, arms on the backrest as she looks at him. He’s slumped down, back at a different angle to the chair and it looks supremely uncomfortable. He probably shifted after the ropes were loosened and couldn’t get back up. There’s still sticks and leaves in his hair, it looks like someone dragged him through a bush and then rubbed something static-y all over. 

 

“It would be what a beast would do,” Tuff replies. 

“Guess you’re not a beast then,” Astrid shrugs, pushing back up from her chair. She steps over to untie the rope around his chest, unlooping the knot easily. 

“If you untie me, when I turn into a Lycanwing I’ll be able to go straight into a rampage. I’ll probably burn everything in this building.” 

 

“If you turn into a Lycanwing you’re probably getting out of those ropes anyway,” Astrid points out, bending down to start untying his left leg. “Besides, I thought you were going to chew your own leg off.” 

 

Tuff huffs, slumping even more in his chair as Astrid gets the other leg untied. He kicks his legs when they’re both free, like a toddler and it’s ridiculously endearing. Astrid stands up and takes his wrists in a hand, picking at the mess of knotted ropes there. They’re still tight, and the skin is probably going to bruise after this. Once the rope drops away she helps to rub some feeling back into his hands. 

 

“You know you’re not hideous right?” She asks, looking at her hands working instead of up at him. 

“You said so before.” Tuff says, not looking either, and not in the way Snotlout would have if he was here. There’s a distinct lack of teasing, the tone of voice stilted. He doesn’t believe it, and now Astrid knows she’s right. He doesn’t know. 

 

“Well, you  _ aren’t  _ and you should know.” Astrid looks up, at the long pale eyelashes brushing his cheeks as he refuses to look anywhere but at Astrid’s hand gripping his wrists. He looks like a mess, mud smeared across one freckled cheek, either on accident or as warpaint, it’s hard to tell with the bird’s nest his hair is. There’s scratches on his forehead, probably a tree branch and even like this he’s very decidedly  _ not  _ hideous. One could even argue for untraditionally handsome. 

 

“You aren’t either.” Tuff offers, tentative, like he’s not sure it’s the right response and Astrid laughs. 

“Thanks,” she says, dropping his wrists. He clutches at them, left hand around his right wrist and looks up, face clear and questions in his eyes. 

 

Astrid doesn’t have the answers. Astrid doesn’t even have the answers to her own questions, to her own actions, to her own words, so she’s not prepared for anyone else’s. She steps back to her chair and flings a leg over again, leaning onto the back with her arms. Tuff turns, looking around at the space now he’s free and turns back to Astrid with a question she can answer. 

 

“You’re free to be a Lycanwing as much as you like, as long as you stay in the dining hall.” Astrid says, settling into the curve of her chair. 

“You know, maybe I was just bitten by a particularly huge and grumpy terrible terror.” Tuff suggests easily. He jumps up, too fast by the way he seems to falter, clutching at his head with one hand and tipping forwards into Astrid’s space. His hand plants on her arm, half his weight leaning into the muscle. “But, have you heard of the mothdragon? He’s like a dragon, but also a moth. Gustav saw him once, and Silent Sven said this weird dragon stole some of his sheep, sucked ‘em dry of their blood.” 

 

And then, so slowly, so gently he tips the rest of the way forward and presses a dry kiss to Astrid’s cheek. 

 

“I’m sure Trader Johann has stories like that,” Astrid offers, can’t help but let her hand drift to the space his lips touched. Her heart is beating too fast and she doesn’t know how to make it stop. 

“Fantastic!” Tuff grins as wild as his appearance, moment forgotten as he pushes the door to the dining hall open, already over the Lycanwing. 

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. title from make them gold by chvrches  
> 2\. tuff is a cryptid nut fight me. he also reads trashy paranormal romance fiction, he was #teamjacob.  
> 3\. astrid goes mothdragon hunting with tuff, and they make out for three hours in the woods. no ever ever lets her forget "you're not hideous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


End file.
